Advances In Management Vol. 6 (5) May (2013) (55) Case Study: Organizational Culture in Hotel Industry: Perceptions and Preferences among Staff Ahmad Lone Mushtaq 1* , Ahmad Fayyaz S. and Ahamd Tanveer 2 1. Department of Management Studies, Central University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006 (J and K), INDIA 2. University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006 (J and K), INDIA *drmushtaqlone@gmail.com Abstract Research validates that organizational culture provides a base for understanding the differences that may exist between successful firms operating in the same national culture and differentiates truly high performing organizations from others. The present study uses Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument to tap the responses of the staff members working in 20 hotels operating in different parts of the Kashmir valley. The study was conducted in two major tourist destinations of the Kashmir valley including Srinagar and Phalgam. The paper analyses perceptions of staff members’ about the organizational culture. Keywords: Organizational Culture, Kashmir, Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument. Introduction Kashmir: Mughals then called it "Paradise on Earth', Europeans now call it 'Switzerland of Asia' and the world calls it Jammu and Kashmir. Sitting pretty on the foothill of Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most picturesque states in North India often referred to as 'Crown of India‟. The concept of organizational culture has received sizeable attention from researchers, consultants, managers and other practitioners predominantly in the business field as they assumed that shared understanding of organizational culture can enhance organizational change, positive image of the organization in the clients‟ eyes and strategy implementa- tion 6 , influence employee attitudes and behaviors and also employee outcomes of well-being, organizational commit- ment and job satisfaction. Similarly other empirical evidences link organizational culture with positive work attitudes, decreased turnover and higher service quality. Some found relationship between organizational culture and successful efforts to improve service quality and perceived positive client outcomes. Researchers like Jaskyte 17 are of the view that culture plays a pivotal role in organizing for innovation and to fostering individual creativity in service organizations. In a similar tone Schein 31 notes that culture provides a base for understanding the differences that may exist between successful firms operating in the same national culture and he differentiates truly high performing organizations from others 18 and enhances employee commitment 25 and others note that it has much influence on organizational effectiveness. 38 Organizational culture can influence how people set their personal and professional goals, perform tasks and administer resources to achieve them. Further, it affects the way in which people consciously and sub-consciously think, make decisions and ultimately the way in which they perceive, feel and act. 31 The concept of organizational culture though being in focus since decades lacks consensus over a universal definition. Consequent upon the same Kroeber and Kluckhohn 21 gathered not less than 170 different definitions of the construct proposed by different authors on the subject. As such according to some, organizational culture is collective programming of the mind which distinguishes members of one organization from the other 15 strongly held and commonly shared values which permeate into the lives of organizational members through socialization 23 ; norms, beliefs, values of a group 13, 30 and shared values. 28 However, most of the authors agree that organizational culture can be referred to as a set of values and beliefs and behaviors that form the core identity of an organization and also help in shaping employee behavior. 12, 22 According to Denison 11 performance of an organization is related to the degree to which culture values are strongly held or widely and commonly shared. Likewise Srivastava 35 also found that organizations which had a strong culture showed considerable increase in sales, reserves and surplus profit after tax, compared to those organizations which had weak cultures. Studies on organizational culture indicate that organizations with strong culture perform better as compared to organizations with weak cultures. Many studies 5, 8, 9, 10, 14, 20, 29 upkeep the conception that organizational culture affects the performance/effectiveness of an organization. It is due to its un-parallel importance that corporate heads spend a great deal of time in reshaping corporate culture and employee behaviour, rather than monitoring financial information.